BASEBALL: Port Angeles 12U beats Alabama team, begins Commissioner’s Cup play Monday

ALACHUA, Fla. — Port Angeles 12U finished pool play at the Cal Ripken Major World Series with a 7-2 win over Sweetwater, Ala., on Sunday.

Port Angeles will now move on to the Commissioner’s Cup bracket after not qualifying for the championship bracket.

Port Angeles hit Sweetwater hard Sunday, with Derek Bowechop, Brody Merritt and Slater Bradley each hitting home runs.

Ethan Flodstrom added a pair of hits and two runs in the win, while Gabe Ritchie drove in a couple of runs.

Alex Lamb started on the mound for Port Angeles, the Pacific Northwest regional champions, and scattered four hits while striking out one.

Bowechop relieved Lamb and tossed three scoreless innings.

Port Angeles head coach Rob Merritt said his team is still struggling to acclimate to the hot, humid weather in Florida.

“It’s a sweaty mess,” Merritt said.

Port Angeles concludes pool play with a 2-3 record. Merritt said Port Angeles will start play in the single-elimination Commissioner’s Cup bracket Monday at 8:30 a.m.

If Port Angeles wins, it will play again later in the day at 2:30 p.m.

In Saturday’s game against the Santa Fe Force of Florida, Port Angeles 12U couldn’t hold an early lead en route to a 6-2 setback.

Port Angeles scored twice in the top of the first inning to gain a 2-0 advantage.

Floodstrom led off with a double and scored from third on Milo Whitman’s single. Whitman later came around to score.

Port Angeles held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth, but Santa Fe plated four runs to make it 5-2 and added another run in the bottom of the fifth.

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